Acne Myths and Misinformation

There is a lot of misinformation about what exactly acne is, and what causes it. Some of the myths around acne a completely wrong, while others have a bit of truth to them. Here are a few of the most common misperceptions about acne.

Acne is caused by poor nutrition. Contrary to popular belief, acne is not caused by eating chocolate, sugary food or fried foods. Research has found that there is no link between diet and acne. Studies have been done on some ethnic groups that do not tend to develop acne and the findings suggest that this is due to genetics rather than diet. If someone has food allergies that seem to cause outbreaks of acne, then it is best to avoid those foods. In general, a healthy, balanced diet is best for the body overall.

Poor hygiene is the main cause of acne. Keeping the skin clean is always a good idea, but poor hygiene alone does not cause acne. Pores become blocked by oils from the sebaceous glands that are inside of the pores, along with dead skin cells and bacteria. Acne is not caused by dirt that accumulates on the skin. Washing the skin only washes away dirt from the top layer of skin and does not clean down into the pores. Therefore, poor hygiene is not the cause of acne.

Stress causes acne. There may be a link between acne and stress, but it is limited. Stress increases production of hormones, including adrenal, hypothalamic and pituitary. These can contribute to outbreaks of acne. For some people, extreme stress may add to the causes of outbreaks of acne. Normal, everyday stress is not enough, though, to cause acne because it does not affect the hormonal balance that much.

Sexual behavior causes acne. There is no proof at all that acne is related to the amount of sex a person has, or any other sexual behavior.

Acne can be treated by sunlight. UV rays can kill bacteria that causes acne, but UV rays can damage sensitive skin cells and cause long-term damage as well as speeding up the aging process. The pigments in dark skin reduces the effectiveness of UV rays in killing bacteria, so having a deep tan is actually not beneficial to acne.

Acne only happens in puberty. Always this is sometimes true, there are many factors that play a part in acne. Many people do outgrow acne as they reach their 20’s, but others will have acne into middle age. Generally, acne outbreaks lessen after the teenage years.